In its scheduled meeting over the weekend, the general assembly of the Hungarian Swimming Association (MUSZ) selected Gusztáv Bienerth as its new President, replacing former chief Tamás Gyárfás, who had resigned last November. Bienerth has spent several years around Hungarian sport, having worked for the Hungarian Football Association and Hungarian Handball Association in the past. The 62-year-old is the current Hungarian Commissioner for Tourism and is also currently a vice president of Budapest 2024, the city’s Olympic bidding organization.
The resignation of Gyárfás came as a final move in response to growing discontent within the Hungarian swimming world. The entire Hungarian Swimming Association had been facing highly publicized criticism by the nation’s top swimmers, including Katinka Hosszu and Daniel Gyurta.
Hosszu was the most vocal critic of training conditions and overall support given by the Hungarian Swimming Federation in most recent years. She primarily cited the association’s failing to provide enough resources to its swimmers, expressing that “while the Hungarian Swimming Federation expects world-class performances, the support they provide is far from world-class level.” Hosszu was sharply critical of the Hungarian federation’s support for national swimmers, saying her training conditions weren’t satisfactory. She called Gyárfás a “damaging factor” in the organization.
When accepting his presidential post over the weekend, Bienerth reportedly agreed with multiple grievances submitted Hungarian athletes. He says he’ll be reviewing committees’ roles within the organization, as well as how the system can be more transparent in its support of swimmers.
